Sorry, I'm on long haul at present and can only log on occasionally. Yes I am serious. Among the latest bunch of joiners are guys 24 years old with zero jet time and some (a little) time on metro liners. RBA requires its piots to have either NZ or UK Licences. The reasons Aussie licences are not accepted are a result of the Aussie CASA not RBA.. .The road is as simple as I stated. Yes you do have to come up with the money for a B 767 rating which I think is about $40 000 Aussie. Most of the latest 20 or 30 joiners have done just this. Once they have a B 767 rating they have put their name down with Rishworth Aviation in New Zealand. As and when RBA needs more pilots they contact Rishworth and new pilots are sent up. It should be pointed out here that;
RBA is not for everyone. It is a small airline that does require fitting into. Some people who are perfectly good pilots just don't fit.
Mid last year and earlier when the low timers were recruited was before 11 September. Since then several airlines have either closed down or cut back. As a result more experienced pilots are now applying.
RBA does actively recruit train and employ local Bruneian pilots including those who are 'stateless'. The numbers are growing and we even have some women in the pilot training system. I should add here that the local pilots are trained at places such as Oxford, and are get UK frozen ATPLs. You work out how good they are.
During the first year you are on a Rishworth contract. That means that the recruitment company are paid by RBA and then they pay you after they have taken a sizable cut for themselves. After a year you are paid by RBA tax free.
I bought my own rating to get into RBA a few years ago now. I had to beg it from various sources, but after joining I was able to repay it within 3 months.
No I am not management. I am a bog standard line pilot. The airline has been good for me and instead of following the common trend of knocking the company, I'm calling it as I have seen it for the last 9 years.